From the folks who designed the original iPod, the Nest Learning Thermostat.

1st Nest Learning Thermostat upper right, Gen 2.0 lower leftLess than a year after the launch of the Nest Learning Thermostat, the company announced the next-generation model. The new version is 20 percent slimmer and is now compatible with 95 percent of low-voltage residential heating and cooling systems. It uses version 3.0 of its software, but don’t worry if you have one of the earlier units. It works for new and existing customers and offers more industry-first features that help to even better balance comfort and energy conservation. The second-generation Nest Learning Thermostat is 20 percent thinner and has a new all-stainless steel ring that mirrors your wall color or pattern to blend into any décor. Now compatible with 95 percent of low-voltage heating and cooling systems, the second-generation Nest thermostat extends support to two-stage cooling, three-stage heating, and emergency heat for heat pumps, as well as whole-home humidifiers and dehumidifiers. One new feature is Enhanced Auto-Away which can turn down heat or air conditioning as soon as 30 minutes after you’ve left the house. (Motion Sensors in the unit can figure out when you leave.) The company found that more than 90 percent of connected Nest owners use the remote control feature, so in addition to support on computer web browsers, apps for iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones, Nest now supports Android tablets, including Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire. The second-generation Nest Learning Thermostat is available for pre-order. It will ship to U.S. and Canadian customers beginning in mid-October. In the U.S., it will also be available later this month (October 2012) at Amazon, Apple’s online store, and Lowe’s stores. Nest Software 3.0 is already being rolled out automatically to existing customers. The original Nest Learning Thermostat now has an MSRP of $229.00 (U.S.) and is available at Lowe’s while supplies last. The new second generation Nest model is only $20 more, with a MSRP of $249.

www.nest.com